The Celestial Emblem
by MyLovelyWriter
Summary: A hidden kingdom emerges from the clouds after thousands of years. Along with it comes a rebellious, unprincess-like princess, and a beautiful but deadly lady knight. With the following events, will Wolfram and Yuuri finally find their way together? *Warning! OOCness 0 0 GunterxOC and ConradxOC and WolframxYuuri*
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**  
A sharp clang echoed within the area as one of the squires crossed his sword with another. They were training to be accomplished knights, and Solphitia was there to supervise them. Melusine watched as the knight shouted commands at them in a reprimanding manner, sighing deeply as she finally decided to divert her attention back to the book she was reading.  
"You! Don't just swing your sword around! Have some sense of coordination with your arms and eyes! You dare call that swordsmanship? You're putting everyone here to shame!" Solphitia's voice reverberated, her words bouncing off the walls.  
Melusine chuckled. She was the same as ever. Her seriousness regarding her occupation never changes. She trains everyone with an iron fist and refuses to tolerate even a small mistake committed by each.  
Solphitia breathed a sigh and wiped a sweat off her brow. "Alright everyone, take a short break." She walked over to Melusine and sat on the available seat next to her. The stone bench was quite cold, but it made her feel refreshed in the very least.  
"Still as adamant as ever, I see." Melusine commented, a small laugh bubbling from her lips.  
Solphitia rolled her eyes and inhaled the scent of fresh air. A sheen of sweat glistened at her skin. "If I go soft on them, they won't learn. They want so much to become a knight, then, they must first endure hardships. A diamond in the rough needs polishing to shine. Isn't that what you always tell me?" She stated.  
Melusine remained quiet on her seat instead of answering. Her eyes remained glued to the page of the book in her hands. Silence drifted between the two except for the sound of the princess flipping her book to the next page.  
Solphitia felt her brow twitch. "You stole another forbidden book from the library?"  
"Shhh," Melusine glared at her friend and placed a finger on her lip. "No speaking of this to anyone." She said.  
"This is starting to happen quite frequently."  
"Don't worry. No one will notice." The princess allowed a charming giggle to echo in the back of her throat. "I made a perfect imitation of the original and put it in its place while I borrowed this." She said.  
Solphitia glanced worriedly at her friend and shook her head. "If ever anyone finds out of this, your mother will kill you."  
"It doesn't matter if they kill me." She whispered, letting her blue eyes close momentarily from exhaustion. She could feel the weariness that was forcing them close. "The fact is I am decisive about knowing about the world I'm unaware of. A person can never be knowledgeable enough."  
"Don't tell me you're still infatuated with knowing what lies behind the gates." The lady knight suppressed a whine that almost came with her words. Melusine was surely a hard one to control. She couldn't imagine how hard it must be for her mother to handle her as her daughter.  
Melusine snapped the book in her hand close and stood up confidently from the bench she was sitting previously on. She glanced upwards to the heavens and recited a speech which impeccably fitted her personality.  
"Once I become the Supreme Queen, I want to try and open the Celestial Kingdom to the worlds beyond ours. I want to expand and gain more knowledge of the things I've never encountered before."  
To outsiders, Princess Melusine may look like the ideal princess. However, if you look much closer, you would see that she was just an unusual character, and like every other young lady, she possesses her own hobbies which she focuses on at a major rate.  
Melusine was the kind of girl who hungers for knowledge and thirsts for the world she has yet to see. Her uncanny interest in new things often leads her to trouble. Though if ever a mishap occurs, she's very well-able to protect herself from any kind of potential danger. She really is an admirable princess. But as a close friend and subordinate, she's all but an energetic brat. Solphitia was only grateful that she did not grow up being too dependent on the people around her. The only thing she was worried about for the princess was her developing liberal thinking. As she delved into the world of logic and reasoning, she came upon the conclusion that the rule that separated the Celestial Kingdom from the rest of the world was unreasonable.  
Melusine possessed captivating blue eyes framed by a thick fringe of long lashes. She normally lets down her wavy, blond hair which softly flowed down until it reached her thighs. She was fair-skinned, and her body was properly proportioned. With the small waist and wide hips she has, it would certainly make anyone jealous. She had long legs, a frail frame and a charming smile.  
Since the great, tragic war against the originators, the Celestial Beings almost went extinct. Because of this, they were all forced to flee to save the last people of their race. The most ideal place for recovering was somewhere hidden and isolated from the rest of the world, and for that cause, the Celestial Kingdom was created. This city reigns at the sky and remains suspended in the air with the great power of its monarchss. It never stays in one place, nor does it remain visible to the naked eye.  
To the human and mazoku race, those land-dwellers who stay at the lands below, the Celestial Beings never existed. They are all but mere tales of people who wanted to find their ideal lover. It is true that Celestial Beings hold great beauty and allure, but at the same time, they are also powerful and deadly creatures.  
The Celestial Kingdom exists to protect its people, but all it was for Melusine was an unnecessary prison. She became decisive of opening the gates of the kingdom to the other world, but for Solphitia, it was only naive of her to think that it would be that easy to accomplish. However, despite that fact, she has a trust on the princess. She was the kind of person who won't give up on something she has already set her mind at. With this kind of heir, she had already begun wondering what kind of events would happen to the Great Kingdom of the Celestials.  
Solphitia had no worries since despite descending from a royal family, she wasn't the one who will take the throne, but her brother. Melusine's family isn't the only one ruling the kingdom. However, they are the most powerful and are the ones who mostly dictate what the other families were supposed to do.  
The Celestial Kingdom, judging by its enormous size, needed not only be governed by one queen. To keep things in order and to prevent the kingdom from falling into trouble, the First Supreme Queen (Melusine's grandmother) appointed different, honorable people who are trusted in ruling smaller pieces of land. There is the von Hart who rules the South, the von Cadalyns who rules the East, the von Gwendolyn who rules West, and lastly, the von Montelle de la Rosellevienne, who rules the North and guards the gate located at that area. Thus, the term 'Supreme' was added to the queen's title, to symbolize that her power won't be matched.  
"Seriously," Solphitia muttered. "You're always so high in spirits. Where do you get all that energy? And, by the way, if you ever get caught stealing those books, then tell them I had no idea what you were doing."  
"How mean. You call yourself my friend?" Melusine pouted at Solphitia and gazed at her with her puppy dog eyes.  
Solphitia had straight, silky blue hair with eyes that resembled a river of melted gold. Her lips were rosy red and she was physically fit because of all the harsh training she endured as a knight. Her face looked mature and she was, like she Melusine had once said, a graceful and beautiful woman.

Melusine, with the book under her arm, entered her chambers with an exhausted sigh. The sun had already set, and with her guess, it's almost midnight. At the very moment, she stepped into the room; she sensed the strong presence of her queen mother. Her eyes snapped into the direction of her couches and there she saw the Supreme Queen Ceres sitting comfortably while sipping a cup of tea.  
Melusine made no hesitance to come forward and greet her with a smile. "What brings you in my room, mother?"  
Supreme Queen Ceres possessed elegance and beauty that can never be seen in any other Celestial Maidens in the kingdom. Her golden eyes almost seemed like a river of melted gold and her long, matching golden hair often dressed into striking chiffon curls shined blindingly. The crown atop her head didn't shine any less than the beauty of its owner.  
Melusine bit her lip as she watched the tea cup being set down on the glass table. As soon as the clink reached her ears, her mother glared at her direction.  
"Where in the world did you go again, Melusine?" Her mother almost screamed. "Don't you know how worried sick I was, waiting for you to come back to your room?"  
Melusine grinned and scratched her head at the overreaction her mother was showing. She was sure no one would want to see this side of her.  
"Mother, please calm down."  
"Calm down? You're telling me to calm down? That's impossible!" Supreme Queen Ceres walked over to her daughter and crushed her into a tight embrace.  
Melusine reluctantly hugged her back. "Mother, what's this all of a sudden?" She asked.  
"I'm sorry, Melusine." She whispered.  
"What?"  
"It's been finalized."  
"What's been finalized?"  
"You're engaged to marry Lord Viltheim."  
"Engaged . . . to marry?!" Melusine pushed her mother away as she stared at her in shock. "What do you mean? I've already refused to accept that proposal! I already told you so many times! I treat Lord Viltheim as a close friend of mine, but not anything more than that!"  
Ceres grabbed her arms gently and tried to explain. "I can't do anything anymore, Melusine. It's all been set."  
"All been set? Do you not trust me? Do you not believe that I can run this kingdom properly as much as you can alone?"  
"I know that . . . but . . ."  
"But what? Mother! Please! I don't want this!"  
"It's necessary!"  
"No, it isn't! I have enough power by myself to reign as queen!"  
"Listen to me once, daughter."  
"No! I don't want to hear any more of what you're going to say! I heard it once already. So please don't force it to me anymore."  
"Melusine . . ."  
"Just please!"  
"I can't."  
Melusine paused. "I don't want to hear the same things over again, please leave me alone."  
"Daughter,"  
"Just leave me alone!"  
Supreme Queen Ceres reluctantly left the room. Melusine turned away from her and sat on the chair in front of her study table, sighing problematically.  
Melusine wasn't a doll that can be willed to do anything as told. She has her own mind, heart, and emotions. Being forced to marry someone she doesn't love is not something she agrees with—and with her cousin, nonetheless! Lord Viltheim was the first son of her mother's brother, and out of all of those problems, the thing the she couldn't bear is the fact that her loving mother agreed to something like it! She always used to say that she loved Melusine so much and wants nothing else than her being happy. But she's doing the total opposite! By doing this, she's condemning Melusine to an unhappy life.  
She sighed and hatched the book she was reading previously open to the last page she was in. Her heart felt like it was breaking.  
_'The Covenant Castle presents rich history of the demon kingdom. Rumors started circling that by the very moment us Celestial Beings left the low lands, the originators were sealed in four boxes and peace settled among the people. The Covenant Castle was said to have been built on the very land that the Great King Shinou pledged protection to, and in return to his promise, the spirits that dwelled in the land told the Great King to build a castle. It would be a structure protected from other conquerors, and no other person except the demon king would be allowed to rule over it.'_  
How great would it be to see this marvelous place herself? This book has recorded history long ago. What have become of the Great Demon Kingdom now? She was curious of what had happened to it, in the very least. How many kings have reigned over it?  
She sighed. She wished she knew more. She also wished that more books contained information of it. The only things that the books in the library contained were only the history of the Celestial Kingdom.  
An idea flashed inside her head. She perked up from her seat and snapped her finger in realization. "Then why don't I go myself?" She suggested.  
She ran towards the book shelves in her room and reached for a book in the top corner at the highest shelf. She needed to climb the ladder to get it, but it was worth the effort anyway. Flipping the book to the intended page, she started reading the following paragraphs and smiled.  
_'The gates leading out of the Celestial Kingdom can only be opened temporarily by the First Supreme Queen, or the direct descendants of the First Supreme Queen, otherwise, the main ruler would need the help of the three other people or their descendants to completely open it. This is the same mechanism used to lock the forbidden books in order to protect its secrets, with only enhanced security and power. However, it requires much effort than normal. How it's done is known only to those who took part in locking the gates—mainly those of royal blood.'_  
"I'm so lucky to be of royal blood." Melusine whispered, and thought of the method she often uses to unlock the forbidden books.  
Just starting from the forbidden books, it was already hard. In order to unlock them, one must face the danger of being burned—literally. There are no exceptions. The first step was to prevent oneself from being harmed by the spell. So as to do this, the person must concentrate on masking his or her magic energy. It's quite tricky. Once done in masking, the person must wait until the spell has 'calmed' and becomes somehow oblivious to his or her presence. There was a small chant that puts the guard of the magic down. At that very moment the spell is caught off-guard, the person must force a great deal of power into the object and try to weaken its security. The power required is something possessed only by the people who locked it. The barrier that protects the kingdom is complex, and several magic were used to strengthen it. But out of all the people who took part in creating the barrier, only the supreme queen has the power to temporarily open it. What it is for Melusine is a mystery. Though for sure, that power is strong enough to hold a large city in the air, and she has that kind of power inside of her.  
She wasn't exactly prepared, but she already had practice, that's for certain. All she had to do now is to expect the worst and, most of all, ready herself. Melusine thought for a moment and asked herself why she hadn't done this before in the first place.  
Sighing, she removed the adornments on her hair along with the crown that sat on top of her head. She looked at it forlornly and closed her eyes in apology. "I'm sorry." She whispered, and gently placed it on her table.  
She stepped out of the elegant garments she wore and decided to slip on some much simpler clothes. The new outfit was loose and easier to move in. Wearing her palace attire would slow her down since it's heavy and makes it harder to move.  
Once fully prepared, she topped her clothes with a black cloak and wrote a small note, folding it on the top of her table. She opened her cabinet of weaponry and strapped a sheathed dagger around her waist, and since she was a practitioner of archery, she took the sturdiest bow she had and wore it around her shoulders. She also took a bunch of fine arrows with her.  
It took quite a lot of time preparing. She was quite sure she already had taken up to midnight. She decided to carry a small bag with her which holds some of her important possessions.  
She lifted the lid of her jewelry box and saw the nostalgic necklace lying around with her other prized possessions. She stared at its pendant. It wasn't just any necklace. It was her father's emblem.  
Without hesitation, she slipped it into her traveling bag and turned to get her circlet. This circlet was used for casual occasions. She wears it during normal days, to tell everyone who sees that she was the crown princess.  
It didn't seem important for this event since she'll be leaving, but it's already been a habit of hers and she had a feeling that she'll need it for some reason.  
She opened the window of her room that faced the direction of the gate and glanced once at the ostentatious bed chamber she slept in. She raised the black cloth to cover her mouth, and when the wind picked up, she disappeared into the darkness like a phantom of the night.  
As a princess, Melusine knows the time of the guards' patrols. Though it was an unnecessary knowledge, she had unconsciously memorized their patterned perambulation. She often offered them light snacks, and with her best friend being one of the best knights, she became familiar with it in no time.  
She snuck surreptitiously through the city and hid carefully under the shadows, evading the keen sights of the patrolling guards. It was tough trying to act unnoticed. Every now and then, her heart would pound thinking if she had been seen at some point. She wasn't a great warrior as Solphitia is but she was an expert in sneaking around. With all the times she had tried escaping the palace grounds to wander off and mingle with the common people; it had given her a lot of experience.  
The wind was cold and the night was quiet. Occasionally, some people would go around doing their businesses. The guards were sleepy and their state of attentiveness had struck low. Melusine wandered in the darkness, heading for one direction alone. She jumped from shadow to shadow like a swift cat.  
She eventually reached the gate with success, going unnoticed. She cautiously looked around and approached the daunting structure. Just looking at the looming edifice made her heart thrum in excitement. She could see it glowing with the unbroken spell casted upon it for security.  
She stared at her greatest and last obstacles yet. Two guards were posted on either side of the gate, and it's obviously up to Melusine to outwit them.  
She could tell that they were sleepy, so she approached them openly and brought the cloth covering her face down. They looked at her warily and pointed their spears towards her, a fierce frown crossing their face.  
"State your identity."  
"There's no need to raise your weapons, gentlemen." She said and pulled the hood of her cloak down.  
They surely know her face. She wasn't wearing her formal crown, but she was wearing the circlet that had the Celestial Kingdom's emblem in it. She had forgotten that she won't need it when she goes down to the lower lands, but thought it would be necessary to bring it with her anyhow. Her intuitions had been correct. If ever these guards do not recognize her face, they would still recognize the circlet she was wearing.  
"It's only me."  
The guards looked dumbfounded and they pulled their weapons back immediately. They bent down into a reverent bow. "P-princess Melusine? What brings you to our post?"  
"Pardon me, gentlemen." She told them. "I personally came to bring an urgent message from the queen's palace."  
"It must be urgent to have you come personally to deliver it."  
"It really is an emergency and highly confidential. Please report to my mother and hear what she has to say, and since this is to be kept a secret, please avoid the other guards on your way. As princess of this kingdom, I will personally do the honors of guarding the gate in your stead."  
The guards exchanged glances and broke into a bow again before scampering from their places. "Thank you, Princess. We'll rush there as soon as we can."  
"It's alright." She said.  
She watched them disappear from her sight and then diverted her gaze to the gate in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she reached out and poked the gate with her finger.  
She was warded off with intense magic and it nearly incinerated her. She pulled back her finger instinctively and grimaced at the smell of her own flesh burning.  
There was no much time left, however, it wouldn't be too soon when those guards would reach the queen's palace. She has to begin now or take the risk of getting caught. She took another breath and focused on doing each of the steps she had done towards forbidden books.  
She did everything with discreet and reached the final stage of opening the gate. She grabbed the same power she forces into the books and exerted a greater amount of it towards the gate. Because of this, an eerie, golden light began glowing brighter from the intricate bars. The metal began heating up in response and Melusine gritted her teeth. This was taking a lot more effort than the usual. She'd say that it required twenty times the normal power she uses.  
And as per every time she uses her power, the tranquil blue color of her eyes swirled and changed into a bright golden color.  
As everyone can see, Celestial Beings of royal blood normally has a pair of golden hair and eyes. But when Melusine was born, she only possessed golden hair and her eyes were of blue color. This had caused everyone to doubt of her credibility to inherit the throne. She suffered for a very long time. Her memories as a child were horrible. Years ago, despite being the princess, she was a misfit and everyone didn't want her. Her mother loved her either way.  
But when she reached the age where she had successfully attained her power as a Celestial Being, everyone was shocked to hear of the minor transformations she makes when she uses her power. Ever since then, everyone respected her.  
She panted as she felt the strain being put to her body. She never released so much of her magical energy all at once. It almost seemed impossible to accomplish, but she can't stop now.  
"Melusine! What are you doing?!"  
She whipped around and saw Solphitia coming her way. "Solphitia . . ."  
It certainly took a while. Pouring the last drop of her energy, the gates finally unlocked and she collapsed on her knees. She pushed its bars open and heard the creak that resonated in her ears.  
Despite her shaky knees, she stood back up on her feet and looked back at the approaching lady knight coming her way. "I'm sorry." She whispered, and plunged herself into the unfathomable depths below.  
"No! Melusine!" She heard Solphitia yell. The knight rushed to where her friend was, but it was too late. Melusine had already thrown herself away.  
Past the gates, there is nothing but misty clouds and air. That was the reason why Melusine fell. Solphitia felt her face creasing in anger and worry. "You idiot!" She screamed.  
Solphitia summoned her wings. A pair of luminous, plumed bird wings bloomed on her back. When she tried going through the gates in the attempt to save Melusine, however, the gates themselves closed at her face and she was thrown back by intense magic. She grunted as she fell on the floor. Smoke simmered from her burned clothes.  
"Damn. I have completely forgotten that the spell is sensitive. It'll only take a few seconds before it comes back again in activity." She bit her lip and pounded her fist against the ground in anger.  
It took Melusine the very last of her strength to open the gates. She wasn't sure if she's strong enough to create a barrier around herself. She tried projecting a small ball, but it flickered and vanished into thin air.  
"Good gracious! I can't die now!" But if she had stayed there and waited for her strength to recover, then she would've been caught. After going this far, she couldn't afford to fail.  
The wind howled in her ears as she zoomed closer to the ground. With her current state, she couldn't even will her wings to appear. All her energy was drained. She never expected this to happen, and she was a fool to think that it would be easy. The task had been simple, but the process upon accomplishing it was very complicated.  
Clearly, there was no choice but to hope she survives. Even the strongest man who falls from such height guarantees no survival at all. Fortunately, Celestial Beings were known to have strong bodies able to endure big blows. There's a great chance she'll still live. If she gets down in one piece, she'll use the time to think things through and enjoy freedom. She's willing to learn about everything the other world had to offer, and come back to their kingdom after she can prove to her mother that she is befitted to rule as queen without any help from a king.  
"I can't save Melusine personally. However, the barrier only rejects magic that comes from the outside. I guess I won't have any trouble shooting her a barrier."  
Solphitia created a big bubble from her hands and threw it towards Melusine to protect her in the least. She saw a small flicker of golden light earlier. It was apparent that Melusine's strength was greatly depleted from trying to open the gate. She can no longer protect herself from the fall.  
After studying the mechanism of the barrier that protects the whole city, Solphitia knows that it's only a semi-permeable layer. It does not allow people to leave or go in, nor does it let magic enter. Nevertheless, to ensure safety, it allows magic that is shot from its jurisdiction to leave. To put it simply, Solphitia can't leave, but her magic can.  
She watched as the bubble left the barrier. "Reckless brat," She gritted through her teeth and hoped that the bubble reached her in time. "You're lucky I'm here to save you."

Melusine had had failed attempts to create a barrier that's usually just a piece of cake to create. She felt so weak, however. It seemed like trying to accomplish this task would make her pass out.  
Shockingly, a golden sphere caught up with her. When she was swallowed inside, the walls hardened into a glass-like structure.  
A barrier.  
Melusine, with wide eyes, traced the walls under her finger tips and smiled. "Thank you, Solphitia."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

Yuuri was scanning the library for a book that would interest him. He was still trying to improve his skills reading the said language of the demon kingdom and Günter urged him to study while doing so.

"Hmm," He rubbed his chin. "Günter said I'll find something here that interests me. I don't see anything here at all! They're all the same lessons he kept telling me about. Can't I begin with a children's storybook or something?" He looked around and placed a hand on his waist. His onyx black eyes scanned every shelf of books.

"Let me see. I want some fantasy and adventure. What sort of tales do they have here?" He stood and stared at a book with colorful cover art. "What does this say? Bur . . . ning ha . . . ven?"

A hand suddenly grabbed him from behind, and he screamed in shock. He accidentally knocked some books out of their places and turned around, only to see Greta clutching the end of his uniform, giggling.

"Were you scared, Yuuri?"

Yuuri sighed. "Greta, don't scare me like that."

"I'm sorry, Yuuri." She laughed. "But you looked so serious. What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for something to read. But, oh man, what a mess." He scratched his head and bent down to pick up the books he accidentally knocked off.

"I'm sorry, Yuuri."

"It's alright, Greta. No one was hurt right? That's what's important." He stared at the books that were lying on the floor and looked at their covers one by one.

Greta automatically bent down and started helping him. "Ooh! Yuuri! Look at this book! It's so pretty!" Greta stood up and held the book high in the air.

Yuuri glanced at her direction and saw the eye-catching sky-blue cover with the decorative, intricate patterns that marked the front.

"Wow. That certainly is, Greta. Here, let me see." He took the book from his daughter's hands and tried reading the words written on the front. "Do . . . cumen . . . ta . . . ry . . . of . . . the in . . . fa . . . mous . . . Celes . . . tial . . . Beings? Documentary of the infamous Celestial Beings? What is this?" He hatched the book open and saw the illustrations drawn at each page. "Wow. This looks like some children's fairytale book. I think I'll start with this one. I wonder what Celestial Beings are, though."

Günter regarded the king with a questioning gaze and raised his brows thoughtfully. "Celestial Beings, you say? Well, yes, I have heard of them. They exist in long-told tales of people from over four thousand years ago. They're said to be one of the most powerful race that existed, aside from us demons, of course. But, unfortunately, they don't exist."

"Oh, I see. So those are just part of the Demon Kingdom's mythical tales, huh? Kinda like back in my home. We have a lot of fascinating stories from long ago, like Kaguya-hime or Urushima the fisherman." He chuckled. "Anyway, thank you, Günter. I've been wondering what they were and I was afraid it would take me longer than I intended. I mean—I'm a really slow reader." He said.

"It's alright, Your Majesty. I'm glad to be of help. If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to ask me." His retainer smiled.

"Thank you very much again. I'll leave you to what you're doing."

"Very well then, Your Majesty."

Yuuri left the area and as soon as he stepped out of the doors, a loud crash echoed followed by the startled yell of Günter who seemed to have met an accident.

"Uwah! Günter, are you alright!"

"I-I'm fine, Your Majesty!"

Yuuri strolled back to the library and settled on some seat. He opened the book to the first page and started reading.

Clearly, he was having a hard time trying to decipher the words. It got him frustrated and agitated, considering his slow comprehension.

He lasted for over two hours, and he finished only ten pages by then.

By the time he turned to the next page, his eyes already felt weary and tired. He planned on closing them for a second, nevertheless, he never expected he'd fall asleep. He woke up only when Günter shook him back to consciousness.

"Your Majesty, King Yuuri. Please wake up."

"Nnnn . . . what?" He yawned and stretched like a lazy tiger. "Oh, did I fall asleep?" Yuuri rubbed his eyes and sighed. "I only planned on closing my eyes for a second."

"How was your reading coming along, Sire?" He asked.

"Believe it or not, I only finished ten pages by those two hours."

"I see. That's a good progress, then." He smiled handsomely. "Here, I brought you some refreshing tea and strawberries." Günter pointed at the smoking cup of tea and a basket of strawberries on his table.

"Oh, I see. Thank you."

"I'm sorry. I should've brought this in earlier. I know that you get easily tired with this kind of tedious activities. Anyhow, I apologize for the inconvenience. A letter came a few moments ago. I needed to make a few preparations. I hope you forgive me."

"It's alright, Günter. I know you have a lot of things to do."

They heard a chorus of footsteps and Gwendal came to sight. "You're forgetting that the work he's doing is supposed to be yours."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. What were you preparing for, by the way?"

Günter sighed. "I'm preparing to take a trip back to my territory, Your Majesty."

"Your territory? You mean—your home? Why?"

"I apologize. Matters came up that needs my immediate attention."

"What sort of matters? Is it an emergency?"

"Well, yes."

"What is it?"

"Apparently, we received a letter. Just about three days ago, a star fell from the sky." Gwendal answered in his place.

"That's true. I'm also obligated to know what type of object has fallen from the sky, and if it is, by any way, harmful to the nearby settlers in the area." Günter added. "It may be dangerous if not immediately paid attention to."

"Oh, it's probably a meteorite or something."

"A meteorite? What is this meteorite you speak of?"

"It's some kind of extraterrestrial object that has reached this world from the outer space. It's only a big rock."

"I see. You're very knowledgeable, King Yuuri."

"Oh, please. I may not be that smart, but I know simple facts about science." The king paused. "But why are they making you go back for stuff like that? Didn't matters worse than that occur before?"

"This situation is a bit different. You see, it's been a while since I've seen my home. I want to check on it personally from time to time."

"Is that so? Alright. Then I'm coming with you."

"But, Sire."

"It only takes me a few minutes to prepare. No worries."

"I wasn't talking about that, Your Majesty." Günter said. "You have a lot of things to do here. I don't want to hinder your work. Nevertheless, this is my territory. It's one of my responsibilities."

Yuuri grinned goofily and scratched his head. "I want to come and help. Your territory is a part of my kingdom, so if there is a problem, then as the Demon King, isn't it my responsibility to lay down a solution? That's considered as my job too, right?"

"Well . . . yes. Certainly."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"Um . . ."

Gwendal shook his head and sighed. "Let Günter handle this problem. There are still a lot of things you need to do."

"Oh, come on, Gwendal. I want to help."

"That doesn't give you the reason to go, does it? You can help by just sitting there and doing paperwork."

"Oh, come on. Please. You will let me come, right, Günter? Please! Please! Please! You were the one who told me that it will cause trouble if not immediately paid attention to. I want to help." Yuuri stared at Gwendal with his puppy dog eyes.

Gwendal's eye twitched as he looked down at Yuuri. He then turned away and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Fine. I'm allowing you to go. But you will do your work straight away when you come back, you hear me?"

"Yes!" Yuuri pumped his fists in the air.

Günter chortled. "He couldn't resist you, Your Majesty."

"Oh, shut up." Gwendal snapped.

Günter retained the smile on his face. "Forgive me."

"You don't look like you're sorry at all."

"At any rate, I'm going to get ready!" Yuuri marched happily out of the room, Günter trailing behind him. "See you later, Gwendal."

Solphitia knelt by the throne of the queen, head bowed low. After informing the incident to Supreme Queen Ceres, the woman immediately stood up from her seat and marched out of the room.

Solphitia stood and followed her suit. "Your Majesty, please hold on!"

The queen did not listen and continued her walk at a hurried pace. By the turns she made, it made it quite obvious for Solphitia that she was headed to her daughter's room.

Supreme Queen Ceres finally reached her destination and positioned herself in front of the doors leading to Melusine's room. She pushed them open and marched in imposingly, her eyes scanning the apparently empty space.

"Melusine . . ." She whispered as her eyes finally landed on her study table.

Her daughter's crown was sitting on the surface with a folded note and a book beside it. Walking towards it, she snatched the letter from the table and read the words scribbled at the front.

_'To Mother,'_

Supreme Queen Ceres hurriedly unfolded the piece of paper and read through it.

_'I apologize. But I cannot simply abide by your decisions. Please remember that I, as your daughter, have my own feelings and thoughts regarding this matter. I'm afraid that if I just sit there and nod my head with your decisions, I won't be the person befitted to rule this kingdom. Therefore, I'm leaving. I want to think things through this way. I want to enjoy the freedom and knowledge offered by the world outside. You have always told me that a queen must learn to stand on her own two feet. I was thinking that the reason why you gave my hand to marriage with Lord Viltheim is because I am not capable enough to sit on the throne. The reason why I'm leaving is to explain to you that I am strong enough and well-fitted to be a wise ruler. When I come back, I want to make you realize that I, alone, am capable enough to rule the Celestial Kingdom. I won't come back, no matter if you ask thousands of squadrons of guards to come after me. I'll make sure that I improve myself before such time that I step back through those gates again. Besides that, I want to prove to you that the law separating this world from ours is unreasonable. That world outside, might not be as harsh as you think._

_Sincerely Yours,  
_ _Melusine'_

Supreme Queen Ceres broke down into tears and she covered her mouth to suppress the sob that was torn from her throat. Her fingers curled tightly around the piece of paper and she held it against her chest. Seconds later, she collapsed on her feet and started bawling.

Solphitia sauntered into the room. The queen reluctantly handed over the note to her, and she read through it with wide eyes.

After going through the letter, she placed a gentle hand on the hand of the queen. "Please do not cry. This isn't your fault."

"No." Supreme Queen Ceres shook her head, sobbing violently. "I'm afraid this is my entire fault."

"Please don't say that."

"It's true. As Melusine's mother, I always saw how strong that girl was. No matter the situation, she always had a smile on her face. She always had a far-away look in her eyes, as if she looks only in the bright side of everything. I knew from then on, that, no matter what, I must protect that smile on her face. But all I were was just a coward. I couldn't face the truth and I feared for her future. I feared for everything. So now, the result of this—is that the person, who tried protecting her the most, only ended hurting her more. She was wrong—I was the coward here. I couldn't even give her the family she deserved because I feared for everything, and now, I'm doing it again. I couldn't even fight for the things I want . . . but Melusine . . ." At this realization, the past came flooding back in her mind. She regretted the fact that she broke a thousand promises, just because she was afraid to disobey her mother. She regretted that she did not take the hand of the man she loved because of her fear. She regretted everything.

"Solphitia," The queen murmured, glistening tears sliding down her face. "Bring back Melusine. Bring her back, no matter what."

Solphitia guided Ceres to her feet and nodded. "If that is what you so wish, I'll happily accept the appointed task."


End file.
